The Cook Next Door Meme...late as ever....

Christina at the Thorngrove Table tagged me for this Meme in late July and I have ruminating on it ever since. Actually, if I am truthful, I forgot. I'm rubbish, feel free to throw things at me and exile me from the village to live alone on the heathland...or something. Anyway...

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?

Hmm, tricky this one. The first memory I have of food is lambs brains. I adored them as a child, however, actually cooking something? I think it was probably helping out at family bbq's, helping my pa put fat unpeeled prawns into the bubbling yellow liquid of the paella dish. I do have a vivid memory of making an apple crumble in home economics at school, and eating all the crumble off it on the way home.

Who had the most influence on your cooking?
This would have to be my entire family. We were taught the value of cooking and eating well from the word go and virtually ever male in the family is a dab hand in the kitchen or involved in food preparation as a job so it was never divided along gender lines. Everyone cooked. Everyone ate.

Do you have an old photo as "evidence" of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?
Nope, I was a very ugly child.

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?
No phobias as such, I am very allergic to prawns (only developed a couple of years ago and so have to wear latex gloves if I'm handling them. Large amounts of coriander on dishes scares me as it tastes like soap.

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?
My most valued item is the chef's knife that the girlfriend bought me for me birthday. 20 inch Global chefs knife. I love it and gaze at it lovingly when alone in the kitchen. Biggest let down, my oven, which decided to spark alarmingly over the weekend and then die.

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like - and probably no one else!
I have a secret love of old fashioned "English" curry. You know with sultana's and apple and stuff.

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don't want to live without?
Cured ham, olives and the smell of onions and garlic softening in a pan.

Any question you missed in this meme, that you would have loved to answer?
What's the most ambitious meal you've ever cooked?
Full Christmas dinner for 22 people when I was a student. It involved three student kitchens in three separate flats each on a different floor. We used to take a lot of drugs back then, which probably explains why we thought this was a good idea.

Three quickies:
Your favorite ice-cream - Rum and Raisin
You will probably never eat - Human flesh.
Your own signature dish - At the moment I keep messing about with panna cottas, but I'm well known for spaghetti with meatballs at poker games.

I imagine just about everyone has done this by now I tag whoever feels the inclination to be tagged....have fun!